"Let mercy and truth never leave you; bind
them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart." Proverbs
3:3. Many people pride themselves on being able to repeat from memory
passage after passage of Scripture. They seem to be thoroughly familiar with
God's Word. But when it comes to making practical applications of the
words they have learned—they entirely fail. It is a beautiful thing to be
very familiar with the Bible—but simply to have its words in our head so
that we can glibly repeat them, is not enough. We need to get God's Word
into our heart, which is the fountain of our life. This is what He asks of
us: "Let your heart keep My commandment."

One result of having God's Word in our heart, is that we
will not wish to let mercy and truth forsake us. Mercy is love toward the
unworthy and undeserving. We are saved through God's mercy toward us, and
God expects us to exercise toward others the same mercy. An unmerciful
Christian is a contradiction of terms. Truth means not only avoiding
falsehood; it also means sincerity, honesty, justice, and fairness in all
our dealings. The practical living out of mercy and truth, insures for us
the favor of God and man.

Everybody likes to appear well—but with many people this
desire finds its satisfaction in the mere matter of dress and ornamentation
of the body. The most beautiful ornaments are noble traits of character,
and among these traits none are nobler than mercifulness and
truthfulness.

Those who have these traits, must "Trust in the Lord with
all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6. What we
all need most is guidance. However self-reliant we may be—we are all sure,
sooner or later, to come to places in our life in which we feel our utter
helplessness. We would have fewer perplexities and problems, if our faith
were more childlike and implicit. Our mistakes and difficulties arise in
great part from following our own way without seeking God's guidance. The
only true and safe rule, is to commit everything into God's hands with all
our heart, acknowledging Him to be our guide. If we pour into His ear our
perplexities, and then calmly await His direction—we shall not go astray.

But we are to do more; we must "honor the Lord with our
substance, and with the first-fruits of all your increase." Proverbs 3:9.
Until we have learned to give to the service of Christ systematically and
liberally of all that God has given to us—we have not learned the lesson of
true Christian living. It is, too, with the first-fruits that we are to
honor God. We are to lay aside specifically for His service first, making
provision for our own wants according to what is left. To use all that is
necessary to gratify every selfish desire—and then give God what may be
left—is not to honor Him. Of course the consecration of our substance should
not stop with the giving of our first-fruits. Far from it. All that we have
and are—is Christ's, and should be used for His glory. But a great step
toward a true and full consecration will have been taken, when the habit of
giving first of all, and proportionately and piously, to the service of
Christ and His cause—has been firmly established.

"My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither
be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loves he corrects; even as a
father the son in whom he delights." Proverbs 3:11-12. Frequently when we
fail to remember the commands God has laid upon us—He seeks to bring us back
to a life of trustful obedience by the chastening of sorrow or privation. We
rebel—but the wise man pleads with us as sons of God, not to despise the
chastening of the Lord. The Bible always talks to us as children. It
comes with a father's authority, and also with a father's
lovingness and gentleness. It is hard, however, not to despise
chastening. Certainly it is hard to love it. No child likes to be chastised
by an earthly parent or teacher. Of course it is not possible that we should
really enjoy and find pleasure in being chastened. That is not natural.
Indeed the Bible says: "No chastening for the present seems to be joyous—but
grievous." Not even faith in Christ, and the grace of God in our heart, can
take the sting out of chastening. We are not expected then to learn to like
it. But we are told not to "despise" it. That is, we are to accept it
without murmuring, without complaining, reverently, as God's messenger to
us, bringing a blessing.

There are some thoughts suggested in the very words of
this verse, which will help us to receive chastening meekly, in faith and
love. One is that it is "of the Lord." It is His chastening.
He sends it. We know that He loves us with infinite affection. He would not
take pleasure therefore in causing us pain, nor would He do it at all were
it not in some way for our good. We may conclude therefore, that our
chastening is of the Lord—it comes to us always with a blessing from Him. In
the Epistle to the Hebrews we are told that God chastens us "for our profit,
that we be partakers of His holiness." The word "chastening" is also
suggestive. In another version, it is "instruction." "Despise not the
instruction of the Lord." The lessons are hard—but hard lessons are most
valuable. That which costs little or comes easily—is not of great worth. We
get nothing of value without paying its full price. We may think of God as
instructing us in any affliction He sends upon us. There is some lesson He
wants us to learn. We ought not to despise any instruction our Father gives
us, though it is costly and painful.

When we groan under God's chastening hand we need to
remind ourselves that "whom the Lord loves—He corrects." We are apt to put
it just the other way. Children sometimes think that their parents are
unkind when they are very strict with them, when they forbid them certain
pleasures or privileges, or when they punish them for things they do. "My
father does not love me—or he would not be so severe with me," a boy says.
Then he points to another boy whose father lets his son do as he
pleases, go wherever he wants to go, have anybody he likes for
companion, who never restrains or corrects him. "That father loves his boy
and is always kind to him," he says. Well, so it may seem just at the
time. The loving father appears to be one who never interferes with his
son's desire or pleasure; and the father who is so rigid with his son really
appears to be unkind, even unloving. But we soon learn how mistaken is our
thought in this matter. The truly loving father is the one who
restrains and corrects and chastens—if need be.

Just to be left alone, to have no chastening, no
correction, no restraining or withholding—is not a mark of love. A father
who does thus with his son, is simply letting him go to destruction
unhindered. The one who corrects and chastens is intent on saving his son.
Chastening is, therefore, a proof of love. God chastens us because He
wants to save us, and make something of us. It should be a comfort to us to
know when we have troubles, trials, or afflictions—that instead of being a
proof that God does not love us—it is just the reverse a new assurance to us
of our heavenly Father's tender affection and deep interest in us. The man
who learns these things cannot fail of happiness.

"Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains
understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better
returns than gold. She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can
compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are
riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who embrace her; those who lay hold of her
will be blessed." Proverbs 3:13-18. It is worth our while to study what the
Bible says about happiness and how to get it. Most people want to be
happy, and strive to be so—but there are very many who miss the mark and
never get what they seek. But those who follow the Bible rules for
happiness, will never be disappointed. We shall soon find, however, that
these are not the rules which worldly people follow.

"Happy is the man that finds wisdom" is one of the Bible
counsels. Wisdom is not merely knowledge. A man may know so much that he is
a walking encyclopedia, and yet not be happy. He may pursue knowledge into
all its nooks and hiding-places, dig it out of the rocks, extract it from
the minerals, gather it from flower and plant and tree, and draw it down
from among the stars—and yet not find happiness. Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is knowledge applied to life. He has found wisdom who has learned
to live well. To live well is to live according to God's laws, which
are summed up in one word, love — love to God and love to man. No one is
happy who does not recognize God as his Father, Savior, King, and do His
will. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." No one can be
really happy who does not love his fellow-men and give out his life in the
service of those who need his help.

"To help somebody up" is a far truer, surer way to
happiness, than most people suppose. Happiness never is found in
selfishness. Those who seek it in thinking and toiling and striving only for
themselves, will have a vain quest. Happiness never lies in that way.

The use of wisdom yields larger and better returns than
does the use of silver or gold. Men may lend their money and get a certain
percentage of gain. They may put it into business and it will yield them a
certain return. Men get rich ofttimes in a few years. That is the kind of
gain that most worldly people think is the best worth striving for.

To get rich is the idea of success which is most
common. But here is a secret for those who want to get rich—a secret well
worth knowing. There is something which gives better returns than silver or
gold in the world's markets. It is wisdom. What does this mean? Is it that
it is better to be wise than to be rich? Yes; but that is only part of the
truth. What is said here is that a proper use of wisdom yields larger and
better gains than the best use of money. Wisdom increases continually in
the life of him who possesses it. Begin with a little and put it to
practice—and it will multiply. One talent soon becomes two. A child goes to
school, and if he is diligent his knowledge increases.

Or take the wisdom of trusting and how experience
enlarges it. The timid faith of today becomes the heroic confidence of
tomorrow. Or take the wisdom of loving others. Only begin it and
practice it, and your heart will expand and your hand will acquire new skill
in ministering. Many a commonplace life, by simply using its plain gifts and
opportunities, and beginning in a very small way to help others and do good
in the world, has at length attained a measure of usefulness and helpfulness
which is simply amazing. There is no other kind of life which brings such
returns—as the practice of wisdom. Then beyond this world, the rewards will
be eternal.

We are told that in Wisdom's right hand are length of
days, while in her left hand are riches and honor. Long life is not in
itself a blessing. There is a legend of one who had a promise that the thing
he asked for, whatever it might be, he would get. He prayed that he might
not die, and his request was granted. He lived on and on and on. But he had
forgotten to ask that he might not grow old, that the advance of the
infirmities of old age might be arrested—and so he became older and older
and feebler and feebler. Length of days like this would not be a blessing.

No doubt true living tends to longevity. Sin shortens
life. Some kinds of sin consume life, as fire burns up wood. But those who
live according to God's laws will live out their allotted days. Besides, one
year of wise and Christlike living, earnest and faithful, is better than ten
years of selfishness and sin. Again, he who lives wisely lives forever in
the spiritual sense. "Whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die."

"Riches and honor," also, are part of wisdom's portion.
It may not be this world's riches and honor. True riches are those which we
can carry out of this world with us—and which we can keep always. Wisdom
teaches us how to use even money, so that it shall enrich us in eternity;
how to lay up our treasures in heaven so that we shall find them there when
we reach home. What we keep and spend on ourselves—we really lose. What we
give away in Christ's name—is all we really make our own forever.